Julie Chang enters the dimly lit bar. Immediately, she spies her friend Sophie De Costa sitting alone in a far corner with her head in her hands. As Julie approaches, she can see her friend has been crying.
'Are you okay, Sophie? What on earth is the matter?' asks Julie.
Sophie looks up at Julie's anxious face. 'I've just been fired.'
'Fired?' queries Julie.
'Yes, sacked!' cries Sophie.
'But why?' asks Julie, 'You've just received a performance bonus, and you said that your boss had given you a superior rating and recommended you for promotion. You were clearly on the fast track.'
'Doesn't mean a thing. I've still been fired.'
'I don't believe it,' Julie says, truly mystified.
'Julie, I can barely believe it myself', moans Sophie. 'The timing is just awful. I've just bought my apartment and now I have no job. I was on the top of the world, and now. . .'
'When did this happen?' asks Julie.
'4:45 pm on the dot,' replies Sophie. 'I was called to the HR department. I thought it was to discuss my tuition refund application. When I got there, I was immediately ushered into the HR department conference room. My boss and the HR manager were waiting. As soon as I saw their faces, I knew something was wrong. My boss was nervous and seemed to be embarrassed. The HR manager just sat there expressionless and said nothing. My boss mumbled something about inappropriate use of social media and the need to protect the firm's image. He then pushed several photos of me taken in Bali and asked if it were me.'
'And? asks Julie.
'I nearly died. It was a series of photos of me partying at the Bogan Bar in Bali. Although it looks pretty raunchy it was really quite innocent. I wouldn't have put it on my Facebook page if it had been for real,' says Sophie.
'Please don't tell me that you didn't use the privacy setting?'
'No, I didn't think,' Sophie says sheepishly.
'Oh no!' exclaims Julie. 'Oh Soph, how could you be so naïve? Employers check social media sites all the time.'........
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1 What ethical, legal and HR issues are raised in this case?
2 What preparatory steps should an employee take to protect themselves in case of an unexpected termination?
3 What should an employee do to ensure that their social media postings do not become a career liability?